Most Common HIV Myths Men Still Believe

Despite efforts of the government and voluntary organizations to spread awareness about HIV Infection & Prevention, some myths continue to exist. Following are some of the most common HIV myths. We have also provided a clarification to help people better understand the reality of HIV.

HIV is Limited to Homosexuals

There is a widespread misunderstanding that HIV is limited to the gay community. This is probably because the breakout of AIDS in the 70s was traced to homosexuals and since then, a presumption has been created that straight guys cannot get HIV or AIDS. However, statistics regarding prevalence of HIV across the world strongly suggests that it is more likely to be found among heterosexuals than homosexuals. Women and drug users present an equally-vulnerable group as men in terms of contracting HIV.

Married Men Don’t Get HIV

Some men are under the impression that since they are faithful to their wives or are in a monogamous relationship, they cannot contract HIV. However, a person can be a carrier of HIV for years before actually developing the infection. The exposure to HIV might have happened before marriage and it might surface years after marriage. The monogamist man has a lesser chance of contracting HIV but this doesn’t make him immune to HIV. Further, married couples often indulge in unprotected sex. This further raises the chances of contracting HIV where one of the partners is a carrier of HIV.

Birth Control Neutralizes HIV

Birth control pills used by women have no effect on their immunity or their ability to protect themselves against HIV. Similarly, women who are using birth control pills might be passive carriers of HIV and can spread the virus to their male partners. This misconception seems to have arisen due to birth control pills being equated with condoms as a part of having safer intercourse. Condoms are proven mediums of protecting yourself against HIV but not birth control pills.

HIV Cannot Spread via Oral Sex

Yes, anal and vaginal sex presents higher probability of spreading HIV. However, oral sex doesn’t offer any guarantee against HIV. A man can contract HIV during his first attempt at oral sex or might remain HIV free despite indulging in oral sex repeatedly. There is no scientific data to prove that oral sex is guarded against HIV.

HIV Happens Due to Too Much Sex

Some men suffer from the delusion that the frequency of sex is directly related to the chances of contracting HIV. The frequency of intercourse doesn’t decide whether you will contract HIV or not. It only raises the probability. This means that having more sexual encounters raises the risk of indulging in unprotected anal, vaginal or oral sex which further raises the likelihood of getting infected. However, a person can suffer from sexual addiction and still, might never get infected with HIV. A single, unprotected sexual encounter with an HIV carrier or an HIV infected person is sufficient to induce the infection.

Mosquitoes Spread HIV

This theory originated from the spread of many serious, and often untreatable, viral infections in the sub-Saharan African nations. Many of these were transmitted by mosquitoes. Further, the origin of AIDS too is traced to the African continent. Even today, Africans constitute the largest section of HIV-infected population in the world. However, mosquitoes are incapable of transmitting HIV or AIDS.

Lesbians are Immune to HIV

Many men tend to assume that two women engaging in sexual activities can never develop an HIV infection—this isn't true. If one of the females is HIV positive, it means that the virus is most likely to be present in her vaginal fluids. This raises chances infecting her partner. However, the probability of something like this happening remains rather low.

An HIV Person is also an AIDS Patient

There are many people who are HIV positive but have not progressed towards developing AIDS. Just like a person can be a carrier of HIV for years, a person can be HIV positive for years before developing AIDS. An HIV-positive person can be protected from AIDS if HIV is detected early and prescription drug therapy is initiated quickly.

These are just some of the many misconceptions about HIV that are found even among the educated members of our society. We hope that people will share the information in this article among their friends to make a contribution towards stopping the Stigma, Hesitancy & Fallacies associated with HIV & AIDS. (Health, MensXP.com)